Brockton plans next response after two more suspected heroin overdose deaths

Monday

Feb 24, 2014 at 6:00 AM

When Police Chief Robert Hayden responded to the call for a sudden death at the Elmcourt Hotel late Saturday morning, he and other officers found not one, but two dead bodies.An unidentified man and woman in their 40s lay dead in Room 301 on the hotel's third floor, with drug paraphernalia nearby, the police chief said.

Staff Reporter

BROCKTON – When Police Chief Robert Hayden responded to the call for a sudden death at the Elmcourt Hotel late Saturday morning, he and other officers found not one, but two dead bodies.An unidentified man and woman in their 40s lay dead in Room 301 on the hotel’s third floor, with drug paraphernalia nearby, the police chief said.

As authorities await autopsy results to determine the exact cause of death, Hayden said he’s reaching out to police chiefs across the region to address the surge in drug overdoses locally.

Brockton has seen five suspected overdose deaths in the past 10 days. Taunton has seen at least four suspected overdose deaths since Jan. 1.

“Something has to be done. It’s just out of control,” Hayden said Sunday.

Shortly after he spoke, Brockton officers responded to an emergency call for a 27-year-old man who overdosed on heroin on Falconer Avenue at 6:37 p.m. Sunday. Police said the man was initially unresponsive, and a family member administered Narcan, a prescription medication that can reverse the effects of an opiate overdose. He was sent to a local hospital.

There has been an increase in deaths associated with the use of fentanyl, a powerful painkiller implicated in dozens of fatalities in the Northeast, in some cases in combination with heroin.

Taunton police have linked heroin tainted with fentanyl, and a potent form of heroin, to the recent high rate of overdoses in the Silver City.

In Brockton, police are watching closely for street use of the deadly drug.

“I’d like to find out who’s selling this stuff and trace it back and see if we can follow this thing,” Hayden said. “We’re trying to strategize as to how we can have an impact on it. It’s an extremely elusive target. It’s very tough.”

Brockton officers responded to the Elmcourt Hotel at 33 West Elm St. at 11:32 a.m. Saturday, and found the bodies of a male and female in a third floor room, police said.

Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Russ Eonas said no foul play is suspected in the two unattended deaths. Eonas said he would not comment further until the autopsies are complete.

Elmcourt owner Chip Yannone could not be reached for comment.

Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter said the city must fight the “overdose epidemic” on several fronts – with medical attention for addicts, stepped up law enforcement, and drug awareness education.

“In the short run, it’s getting Narcan deployed,” Carpenter said Sunday. “It’s stepping up our enforcement action against drug dealers by doubling the size of the narcotics unit at the Brockton Police Department.”

Brockton firefighters on Friday began training to carry Narcan with them as they respond to calls across the city, Carpenter said, adding that he hopes that will help curb overdose deaths.

In 2013, the Stoughton Fire Department used Narcan 36 times in response to drug overdoses. All 36 people lived, said Stoughton Fire Chief Mark Dolloff. In 2012, Narcan was used 29 times in response to drug overdoses, and all 29 of those people also lived, Dolloff said.

Carpenter said he is planning a drug overdose prevention and information forum in Brockton in the coming weeks. A special forum will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at East Middle School to inform parents about substance abuse and emerging drug trends.

Carpenter said he will lobby for a drug court to be brought to the court system in Brockton. Drug courts, which exist in Quincy and South Boston, would require and monitor a drug treatment program for nonviolent offenders as an alternative to jail, Carpenter said.

“The idea is that for someone who is addicted, they’re going to keep stealing and robbing until their addiction is treated,” Carpenter said. “From a practical standpoint, it’s a far more reasonable approach. You have to treat the underlying cause.”

Councilor-at-large Robert Sullivan called for a citywide meeting with Brockton residents, healthcare organizations and schools and colleges to talk about the recent drug overdoses.

“An open, frank discussion is something that needs to happen in order to try to control it,” said Sullivan, who serves as the council president.

Brockton needs help from the state Department of Public Health to bring more drug awareness forums into the community, said Councilor-at-large Shaynah Barnes, who called the overdoses a “public epidemic.”

“A lot of it has to do with drug education and getting things out in a way that would let people know what could happen (with drug use),” Barnes said. “They’re rolling the dice.”

Reports from area hospitals have indicated that overdose numbers are up in recent months.

In January alone, Morton Hospital in Taunton saw 43 patients were brought to the emergency room for drug overdoses. During the entire year of 2013, the hospital saw 129 total overdoses, hospital spokeswoman Julie Masci said. January’s one-month total equals one-third the number of overdoses treated over the preceding 12 months.

Maria Papadopoulos may be reached at mpapa@enterprisenews.com or follow on Twitter @MariaP_ENT.